The Indian Hockey team once used to strike a fear in its opponents like an Australian team in Cricket or Roger Federer seems to do in Tennis. India dominated the sport in the first half of the 20th Century, winning all six Olympic gold medals and 30 consecutive games from 1928 to 1956. It is only sport, which has the distinction of giving India a Gold Medal in Olympics. The Indian Hockey is looked upon by the world as providing with one of the best ever Hockey players, if not the best, in Dhyan Chand. The same country is now struggling to hold its own in the top tier of Hockey and is in serious danger of being looked upon as a second tier team, if it has not been already. As Kang Koon Wook, former South Korea Captain, recently put it, India must wake-up and increase the level of its game if it hoped to dominate the world hockey again. We will look at a few factors responsible for the continual downhill slide of the Indian Hockey.
In the year 2003, India lost just 8 matches out of 26, for a success rate of 70%. Since then, India won only 19 matches out of 68 in 2004, for a success rate of 28%. What is the reason for that slide? What is ailing the Indian Hockey?
Constant Change of Coaches
There seems to be no stability in the tenure of a coach of the Indian Hockey Team. They are cropped and changed according to the whims and fancies of the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) . In the last four and a half years, Indian hockey had half a dozen coaches namely Bhaskaran, Cedric D'Souza, C. R. Kumar, Rajinder Singh, Gerhard Rach and Jagbeer Singh. There is just no transparency in the way
IHF goes about the selection and removal of Nation Hockey Coach. Even during the recent selection of Rajinder Singh Jr. as the coach, there was no mention of the various contenders for the post. Ric Charleworth, who coached the Australian women’s hockey team to gold medals in the 1993 Champions Trophy, 1994 World Cup, 1995 Champions Trophy, 1996 Olympics, 1997 Champions Trophy, 1998 World Cup, 1999 Champions Trophy and the 2000 Olympics and also has won the Coach of the Year award 5 times. He stated publicly that he was interested in Coaching India, but there was no mention of him. The IHF simply revealed Rajinder Singh Jr., the coach of PSB which won the 2005 National Hockey Championship, as the national hockey coach and Narinder Pal Singh, coach of the Hyderabad Sultans which won the Premier Hockey League, as the assistant coach. Frequent and inexplicable changing and chopping has caused havoc with the team and its performance has been well below par. A coach needs time to get to know the players, the bench strength, strengths and weaknesses of players and to devise strategies which best suit the team. The players too struggle when they are forced to work with different coaches who advocate different styles of play and different strategies. Since Rajinder Singh Jr. has been contracted till 2006, he should be given time to grow with the team and any exclusions and inclusions in the team, should be based on fitness and merit only. Does he have man management skills? Is he modern enough in his thinking and willing to adopt the latest techniques in play? Only time will reveal the answers to these questions.
IHF and its Politics
K.P.S. Gill, former Director-General of Police in Punjab and considered a national hero of sorts for his action against Terrorism, seems to have become the monarch of IHF. The Sports Ministry stipulated in 1975 that no person shall contest more than 2 terms and it requires 25% representation by Sportspersons in Sports bodies. Its implementation in the real sense has only been restricted to the paper work (sadly, I must add). Gill has been in power for the past 12 years withstanding pressure from Players, Media and what not.
There is also just no transparency in how IHF goes about spending its money. There have always been rumors and criticism about the misuse of money by IHF Officials. There have been just 3 national championships held in the past 11 years before this year. The same old age excuse of lack of funding from the Sports Ministry is the reason being given but it has to learn to start to be accountable first. Its no wonder that we are struggling in Hockey as there just not many players to choose from, as the National Championships seem to be held once in a blue moon . Who is responsible for all this farce? None more so than IHF President K P S Gill and Secretary General K Jothikumaran. They have been including and dropping players and staff according to their whims and fancies. The team has not won any big international event except Asian Games in 1998. Even after winning Asian Games, IHF dropped as many as six good players from team without any valid reason. Then we had Mr. Gill & Co replacing Rajinder with Rach as coach at the eleventh hour before Olympics, the fiasco of sidelining of Dhanraj Pillay before the Olympics before mounting pressure from the media and the public forced his inclusion. Gill is reported to have mentioned after Olympics , "our players don't retire... We have to tell them that we are not selecting you anymore." , doesn’t that apply to Mr.Gill and Jyothikumaran too? If it were any private company, Gill and Jyothykumaran would have been sacked long time back. Shouldn’t they both be accountable for the pathetic state of Indian Hockey?
Mr Gill, who earlier in the year was opposed to running for the President of IHF for the fourth time has changed his mind and contested the recent elections (the results of which will be kept in a sealed
cover until further notice by the court). He even advanced the elections by eleven months as reports indicated that Mr Gill received tremendous support from the affiliated members during the January 30, 2005 Annual General Meeting in Hyderabad and so he wants to capitalize on it. Recently Narinder Batra, Senior Vice-President, has come down strongly against the functioning of IHF. He even went to the Court against the irregularities in the Balance Sheets of IHF and the autocratic manner in which it was run. This month (July), former players led by Pargat Singh, have even requested Government intervention. It seems Govt intervention is the only way Indian Hockey can be revived and then only can any thought of India being one of the top teams in the world can be entertained.
IHF needs a transparent and accountable administration with a vision for the development of the game in India. The IHF should turn its focus to the grass root level with good performances being rewarded at each level. Because of the irregularity at which the Hockey Nationals are being held, it has dried up the talent base in various states with Jalandhar supplying the majority of the players for the national team. Only when the domestic structure is strong can the National team dominate at the International Level. So to repair the damage done, the IHF should follow the activities being done in various states to popularize the game and if needed pass stringent orders to the state bodies for the betterment of the game. Last but not the least, the Hockey Nationals should be held annually and also many other events should be introduced to increase the level of play and player base in the country. It appears impossible but we can dream!!
Selection Policies and indiscipline of players
Controversies and allegations seem to be synonym with IHF and its selection policies. There has always been allegations leveled against IHF that its selection policies are more aligned to where
the players come from and their state association’s clout with the IHF than anything to do with merit. There has been no transparency in the selection policies of the IHF and never any justification given to a player being dropped or picked. We can see several instances of such inexplicable selection policies. For example, half the team was discarded from the team that won the Asian Games in 1998 within an year without any valid reason, India's four best forwards Gagan Ajeet Singh, Deepak Thakur, Prabhjyot Singh and Dhanraj Pillai were dropped for the 2004 Champions Trophy when in fact these were leading scorers for India in the previous edition of Champions Trophy and then we had that Pillay fiasco before the Olympics. This farce is not just restricted to senior level too. We had allegations leveled against the IHF of bias by the Nagaland Hockey Federation for the shabby treatment of its player during the recent selection trials held in Hyderabad for the Junior World Cup.
The players are also very much responsible for the state of Indian Hockey right now. There is always some sort of infighting and arguments going among the players. We hear reports of players being dissatisfied regarding the media attention centered around the goal scorers and lack of focus being given to the defenders. Then this incident during the match between Punjab Police and PSB in the final of the 8th All-India Ramesh Chandra Hockey Tournament, where the players like Gagan Ajit Singh, Jugraj Singh, etc,. behaved more like Goondas than the cops they were representing. This is hardly the type of publicity the game of Hockey needs especially when it is going through such a wretched phase.
The situation can only improve if more transparency is brought into the player selection. We get to see several new players in the team in almost every tournament India plays nowadays and then most of them are disposed off without getting a proper chance to prove their metal. This should end. The selectors need to identify a core group of players who are capable of making the Indian team dominate at the world level and then stick with them for a while. This results in the players and the staff knowing each others strengths and weaknesses, coaches can build strategies based on them and importantly in the process can become a cohesive unit. The players too for their part should focus more on the team and put the goals of the team in front of their personal aspirations and milestones and work hard even during the off season. They should also realize that they also have the responsibility of building Hockey to reach its past laurels by attending the various Hockey camps held frequently and encourage the kids by giving tips. They should also restrain themselves from getting involved in ugly incidents on and off the field which give bad publicity to the game.
Infrastructure (or lack of it)
Astroturf has been a common feature in Hockey after it was first introduced in the 1976 Olympics. It has advanced even further and you see quite a few International events being played under floodlights nowadays. But in India we have only one floodlight stadium i.e., in Hyderabad and there are very few astroturf stadiums in India even though they have become the norm of the day in International Hockey. Quite a few of our domestic matches are still played on grass and clay which does not happen in International Hockey any more.
For the betterment of facilities, Hockey needs more private participation. Recently, IHF entered into a 3 year contract with ESPN-STAR,
leading Sports Broadcasters in India, for telecast of the various Domestic and International games played in the country in the next three years. ESPN-STAR had taken initiative in the past too with the introduction of Premier Hockey League. This is good news as the players and Hockey will be in the news more often which will result in more money being pumped into the game as the Corporates will find it more viable to sponsor an event or a player as they can get more mileage out of it. It is upto the Indian Hockey Federation to make better use of the money coming in by investing in infrastructure, popularize the game at grass roots and also get more money into the hands of players in the form of contracts and match fees as it will encourage more kids to take up the game.
In the year 2003, India lost just 8 matches out of 26, for a success rate of 70%. Since then, India won only 19 matches out of 68 in 2004, for a success rate of 28%. What is the reason for that slide? What is ailing the Indian Hockey?
Constant Change of Coaches
There seems to be no stability in the tenure of a coach of the Indian Hockey Team. They are cropped and changed according to the whims and fancies of the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) . In the last four and a half years, Indian hockey had half a dozen coaches namely Bhaskaran, Cedric D'Souza, C. R. Kumar, Rajinder Singh, Gerhard Rach and Jagbeer Singh. There is just no transparency in the way
IHF goes about the selection and removal of Nation Hockey Coach. Even during the recent selection of Rajinder Singh Jr. as the coach, there was no mention of the various contenders for the post. Ric Charleworth, who coached the Australian women’s hockey team to gold medals in the 1993 Champions Trophy, 1994 World Cup, 1995 Champions Trophy, 1996 Olympics, 1997 Champions Trophy, 1998 World Cup, 1999 Champions Trophy and the 2000 Olympics and also has won the Coach of the Year award 5 times. He stated publicly that he was interested in Coaching India, but there was no mention of him. The IHF simply revealed Rajinder Singh Jr., the coach of PSB which won the 2005 National Hockey Championship, as the national hockey coach and Narinder Pal Singh, coach of the Hyderabad Sultans which won the Premier Hockey League, as the assistant coach. Frequent and inexplicable changing and chopping has caused havoc with the team and its performance has been well below par. A coach needs time to get to know the players, the bench strength, strengths and weaknesses of players and to devise strategies which best suit the team. The players too struggle when they are forced to work with different coaches who advocate different styles of play and different strategies. Since Rajinder Singh Jr. has been contracted till 2006, he should be given time to grow with the team and any exclusions and inclusions in the team, should be based on fitness and merit only. Does he have man management skills? Is he modern enough in his thinking and willing to adopt the latest techniques in play? Only time will reveal the answers to these questions.IHF and its Politics
K.P.S. Gill, former Director-General of Police in Punjab and considered a national hero of sorts for his action against Terrorism, seems to have become the monarch of IHF. The Sports Ministry stipulated in 1975 that no person shall contest more than 2 terms and it requires 25% representation by Sportspersons in Sports bodies. Its implementation in the real sense has only been restricted to the paper work (sadly, I must add). Gill has been in power for the past 12 years withstanding pressure from Players, Media and what not.
There is also just no transparency in how IHF goes about spending its money. There have always been rumors and criticism about the misuse of money by IHF Officials. There have been just 3 national championships held in the past 11 years before this year. The same old age excuse of lack of funding from the Sports Ministry is the reason being given but it has to learn to start to be accountable first. Its no wonder that we are struggling in Hockey as there just not many players to choose from, as the National Championships seem to be held once in a blue moon . Who is responsible for all this farce? None more so than IHF President K P S Gill and Secretary General K Jothikumaran. They have been including and dropping players and staff according to their whims and fancies. The team has not won any big international event except Asian Games in 1998. Even after winning Asian Games, IHF dropped as many as six good players from team without any valid reason. Then we had Mr. Gill & Co replacing Rajinder with Rach as coach at the eleventh hour before Olympics, the fiasco of sidelining of Dhanraj Pillay before the Olympics before mounting pressure from the media and the public forced his inclusion. Gill is reported to have mentioned after Olympics , "our players don't retire... We have to tell them that we are not selecting you anymore." , doesn’t that apply to Mr.Gill and Jyothikumaran too? If it were any private company, Gill and Jyothykumaran would have been sacked long time back. Shouldn’t they both be accountable for the pathetic state of Indian Hockey?Mr Gill, who earlier in the year was opposed to running for the President of IHF for the fourth time has changed his mind and contested the recent elections (the results of which will be kept in a sealed
cover until further notice by the court). He even advanced the elections by eleven months as reports indicated that Mr Gill received tremendous support from the affiliated members during the January 30, 2005 Annual General Meeting in Hyderabad and so he wants to capitalize on it. Recently Narinder Batra, Senior Vice-President, has come down strongly against the functioning of IHF. He even went to the Court against the irregularities in the Balance Sheets of IHF and the autocratic manner in which it was run. This month (July), former players led by Pargat Singh, have even requested Government intervention. It seems Govt intervention is the only way Indian Hockey can be revived and then only can any thought of India being one of the top teams in the world can be entertained.IHF needs a transparent and accountable administration with a vision for the development of the game in India. The IHF should turn its focus to the grass root level with good performances being rewarded at each level. Because of the irregularity at which the Hockey Nationals are being held, it has dried up the talent base in various states with Jalandhar supplying the majority of the players for the national team. Only when the domestic structure is strong can the National team dominate at the International Level. So to repair the damage done, the IHF should follow the activities being done in various states to popularize the game and if needed pass stringent orders to the state bodies for the betterment of the game. Last but not the least, the Hockey Nationals should be held annually and also many other events should be introduced to increase the level of play and player base in the country. It appears impossible but we can dream!!
Selection Policies and indiscipline of players
Controversies and allegations seem to be synonym with IHF and its selection policies. There has always been allegations leveled against IHF that its selection policies are more aligned to where
the players come from and their state association’s clout with the IHF than anything to do with merit. There has been no transparency in the selection policies of the IHF and never any justification given to a player being dropped or picked. We can see several instances of such inexplicable selection policies. For example, half the team was discarded from the team that won the Asian Games in 1998 within an year without any valid reason, India's four best forwards Gagan Ajeet Singh, Deepak Thakur, Prabhjyot Singh and Dhanraj Pillai were dropped for the 2004 Champions Trophy when in fact these were leading scorers for India in the previous edition of Champions Trophy and then we had that Pillay fiasco before the Olympics. This farce is not just restricted to senior level too. We had allegations leveled against the IHF of bias by the Nagaland Hockey Federation for the shabby treatment of its player during the recent selection trials held in Hyderabad for the Junior World Cup.The players are also very much responsible for the state of Indian Hockey right now. There is always some sort of infighting and arguments going among the players. We hear reports of players being dissatisfied regarding the media attention centered around the goal scorers and lack of focus being given to the defenders. Then this incident during the match between Punjab Police and PSB in the final of the 8th All-India Ramesh Chandra Hockey Tournament, where the players like Gagan Ajit Singh, Jugraj Singh, etc,. behaved more like Goondas than the cops they were representing. This is hardly the type of publicity the game of Hockey needs especially when it is going through such a wretched phase.
The situation can only improve if more transparency is brought into the player selection. We get to see several new players in the team in almost every tournament India plays nowadays and then most of them are disposed off without getting a proper chance to prove their metal. This should end. The selectors need to identify a core group of players who are capable of making the Indian team dominate at the world level and then stick with them for a while. This results in the players and the staff knowing each others strengths and weaknesses, coaches can build strategies based on them and importantly in the process can become a cohesive unit. The players too for their part should focus more on the team and put the goals of the team in front of their personal aspirations and milestones and work hard even during the off season. They should also realize that they also have the responsibility of building Hockey to reach its past laurels by attending the various Hockey camps held frequently and encourage the kids by giving tips. They should also restrain themselves from getting involved in ugly incidents on and off the field which give bad publicity to the game.
Infrastructure (or lack of it)
Astroturf has been a common feature in Hockey after it was first introduced in the 1976 Olympics. It has advanced even further and you see quite a few International events being played under floodlights nowadays. But in India we have only one floodlight stadium i.e., in Hyderabad and there are very few astroturf stadiums in India even though they have become the norm of the day in International Hockey. Quite a few of our domestic matches are still played on grass and clay which does not happen in International Hockey any more.
For the betterment of facilities, Hockey needs more private participation. Recently, IHF entered into a 3 year contract with ESPN-STAR,
leading Sports Broadcasters in India, for telecast of the various Domestic and International games played in the country in the next three years. ESPN-STAR had taken initiative in the past too with the introduction of Premier Hockey League. This is good news as the players and Hockey will be in the news more often which will result in more money being pumped into the game as the Corporates will find it more viable to sponsor an event or a player as they can get more mileage out of it. It is upto the Indian Hockey Federation to make better use of the money coming in by investing in infrastructure, popularize the game at grass roots and also get more money into the hands of players in the form of contracts and match fees as it will encourage more kids to take up the game.
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